Code Page Issues

In international environments, gateways must perform code page conversions (converting between different character sets). The gateway must convert between foreign system and Microsoft Exchange Server code pages, and between code pages of originating and destination Microsoft Exchange Server systems.

The Microsoft Exchange Client creates strings using the code page specified by the client locale. The strings are stored in Unicode in the Microsoft Exchange Server information store. A gateway can retrieve the message properties from the information store either in Unicode format or in the code page specified by the gateway’s locale.

The following three parts of a backboned message need to be treated separately for code page conversion:

• Message text Foreign system’s native code page.
• Message envelope Foreign system’s native code page.
• TNEF attachment Either Unicode or the code page of the gateway.

When a gateway transfers strings that are encapsulated using TNEF, the strings should be in the Microsoft Exchange Server code page when they are encapsulated. The gateway should also tag the TNEF code page property so the receiving system can perform any required conversion.

Code page support is relevant only in TNEF best data and pure modes.